As the school year draws to a close, officials at Arkansas Tech University are busy making plans to meet the increasing demand for on-campus housing for the 2006-07 academic term.

In a memo to President Robert C. Brown concerning the housing situation, vice president of administration and finance David Moseley stated the university is experiencing a significant increase in requests for university housing for the fall 2006 semester.

According to Moseley, steps have been initiated to help resolve the overflow problem, including the purchase of additional housing units, the renovation of existing campus facilities and cooperative efforts with local realtors to refer students to available off-campus housing.

Thursday, the university's board of trustees approved the purchase of a three bedroom house, 16 apartments and four city lots and approved the transfer of $150,000 to begin the process of converting Critz Hall back into a student housing facility.

"This has come about primarily because we have a resurgence of interest in living on campus from our students," Brown said. "The demand is coming from upperclassmen who want to live on campus, and that is due largely to the efforts our faculty and staff members put into our retention program.

"Our retention program works, and this is the payoff."

The house, apartment complex and city lots are located at 500-520 East K Street in Russellville. According to Moseley, the property is 22 years old and in average condition. Trustees approved the purchase of the property for $425,000.

Critz Hall, which currently houses part of the university's physical plant, was formerly a residence hall, and Moseley recommended the building be renovated and converted back into student housing.

Moseley said the maintenance portion of the physical plant will have to be relocated, and it is still unclear where that department will be placed. Other concerns with the renovation project, according to Moseley, include the lack of air conditioning and the age of the electrical systems.

But he said he was confident those issues could be resolved and the building can be ready for use in the fall.

Brown said the university's administration would do all it could to ensure availability of on-campus housing for interested students.

"The reason we're moving heaven and earth is because we've got lots of data that shows people who live on campus do better academically than those who do not," Brown said. "The reason we're doing this is an academic reason.

"If we have to have some of the planets and the moon and stars fall between now and the fall semester to get this done, we'll shoot them down to do it."

The board of trustees approved a similar project in the fall, and a portion of Wilson Hall has been renovated and converted back into student housing.

Moseley said the $150,000 that was transferred is not the total cost of the Critz Hall renovation project but would allow the project to get underway.